System and method for collaborative shopping, business and entertainment

Abstract

Systems and methods for synchronous content viewing are provided. In embodiments, a method includes providing an interface to a user of a remote user device; receiving a user selection of one or more contacts of the user as invitees to a synchronized session; providing content synchronously to the remote user device of the user and other remote user devices of the respective one or more contacts of the user based on receiving an acceptance from the one or more contacts of the user, wherein the user and the one or more contacts of the user view the content synchronously during the synchronized session; and providing functions of an application to the participants synchronously, wherein the functions enable the participants to interact with the content in real-time during the synchronized session, and wherein all participants view interactions with the content simultaneously.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 providing, by a computing device, an interface to a user of a remote user device in a network; 
 receiving, by the computing device, a user selection of one or more contacts of the user as invitees to a synchronized video sharing session via the interface, wherein participants view content in a synchronous manner on respective user devices of the participants, the content including video content, and wherein the video content is displayed to participants in a synchronized manner such that all participants are simultaneously shown a same frame of the video content; 
 sending, by the computing device, an invitation to the one or more contacts of the user via the network based on the user selection; 
 receiving, by the computing device, an acceptance of the invitation from the one or more contacts of the user; 
 providing, by the computing device, the content synchronously to the remote user device of the user and other remote user devices of the respective one or more contacts of the user via the interface based on receiving the acceptance from the one or more contacts of the user, wherein the user and the one or more contacts of the user are participants in the synchronized video sharing session and can view the content synchronously during the synchronized video sharing session; and 
 providing, by the computing device, functions of an application to the participants synchronously, wherein the functions enable the participants to interact with the video content in real-time during the synchronized session, and wherein all participants view interactions with the video content simultaneously. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application is a multi-media application and the functions of the application include fast forward, rewind and pause functions. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: providing, by the computing device, a buffer to minimize lag in the video content as it is displayed in sync on the remote user device and the other remote user devices during the synchronized session. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: providing, by the computing device, a whiteboard layer enabling the participants to input overlay data to write or draw over the video content as it plays during the synchronized video sharing session. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: saving, by the computing device, the overlay data without affecting the video content. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computing device, content of the overlay data using optical character recognition (OCR) techniques; 
 determining, by the computing device, content related to the content of the overlay data; and 
 presenting, by the computing device, the content related to the content of the overlay data to the participants during the synchronized session. 
 
     
     
       7. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media having program instructions collectively stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable to cause a computing device to:
 provide an interface to a user of a remote user device in a network; 
 receive a user selection of one or more contacts of the user as invitees to a synchronized video sharing session via the interface, wherein participants view content in a synchronous manner on respective user devices of the participants, the content including video content, and wherein the video content is displayed to participants in a synchronized manner such that all participants are simultaneously shown a same frame of the video content; 
 send an invitation to the one or more contacts of the user via the network based on the user selection; 
 receive an acceptance of the invitation from the one or more contacts of the user; 
 provide the content synchronously to the remote user device of the user and other remote user devices of the respective one or more contacts of the user via the interface based on receiving the acceptance from the one or more contacts of the user, wherein the user and the one or more contacts of the user are participants in the synchronized video sharing session and can view the content synchronously during the synchronized session; and 
 provide functions of an application to the participants synchronously, wherein the functions enable the participants to interact with the video content in real-time during the synchronized video sharing session, and wherein all participants view interactions with the video content simultaneously. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer program product of  claim 7 , wherein the application is a multi-media application and the functions of the application include fast forward, rewind and pause functions. 
     
     
       9. The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the computing device to: provide a buffer to minimize lag in the video content as it is displayed in sync on the remote user device and the other remote user devices during the synchronized session. 
     
     
       10. The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the computing device to: provide a whiteboard layer enabling the participants to input overlay data to write or draw over the video content as it plays during the synchronized video sharing session. 
     
     
       11. The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the computing device to: save the overlay data without affecting the video content. 
     
     
       12. The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the computing device to:
 determine content of the overlay data using optical character recognition (OCR) techniques; 
 determine content related to the content of the overlay data; and 
 present the content related to the content of the overlay data to the participants during the synchronized session. 
 
     
     
       13. A system comprising:
 a processor, a computer readable memory, one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions collectively stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions executable by a computing device to: 
 provide an interface to a user of a remote user device in a network; 
 receive, via the interface, a user selection of one or more contacts of the user as invitees to a synchronized video sharing session wherein participants view content in a synchronous manner on respective user devices of the participants, the content including video content, and wherein the video content is displayed to participants in a synchronized manner such that all participants are shown a same frame of the video content; 
 send an invitation to the one or more contacts of the user via the network based on the user selection; 
 receive an acceptance of the invitation from the one or more contacts of the user; and 
 provide the content synchronously to the remote user device of the user and other remote user devices of the respective one or more contacts of the user via the based on receiving the acceptance from the one or more contacts of the user, wherein the user and the one or more contacts of the user are participants in the synchronized video sharing session and can view the content synchronously; and 
 provide functions of an application to the participants synchronously, wherein the functions enable the participants to interact with the video content in real-time during the synchronized video sharing session wherein all participants view interactions with the video content simultaneously. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the application is a multi-media application and the functions of the application include fast forward, rewind and pause functions. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the computing device to: provide a whiteboard layer enabling the participants to input overlay data to write or draw over the video content as it plays during the synchronized video sharing session. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the computing device to:
 determine content of the overlay data using optical character recognition (OCR) techniques; 
 determine content related to the content of the overlay data; and 
 present the content related to the content of the overlay data to the participants during the synchronized session. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the computing device is a portal server,
 and wherein the program instructions are further executable by the computing device to:
 receive a request for the application from the user; 
 determine whether the application is available on the portal server; 
 when it is determined that the application is available on the portal server, execute the application from the portal server; 
 when it is determined that the application is not available on the portal server, 
 determine whether a plug-in of the application is available on the remote user device; 
 when it is determined that the plug-in of the application is available on the remote user device, execute the application locally on the user device; 
 when it is determined that the plug-in of the application is not available on the remote user device, determine if the application is available on the remote user device; 
 when it is determined that the application is available on the remote user device, execute the application remotely on the remote user device 
 when it is determined that the application is not available on the remote user device, determine whether the application is available on another computing device in the network on which the user has been authenticated; and 
 when the application is available on the other computing device in the network, execute the application on the other computing device and direct output of the application to the remote user device.